Super Eco

Photo credit: hortongrou, SXC

No matter where you stand on America's recently passed health care package, the vitriolic partisanship and "us vs. them" mentality of those struggling to pass or block the bill has got to register as a shock. When did our society become so unwilling and unable to cooperate? And how can we expect families building their lives in this atmosphere to overcome this kind of "me-centric" thinking to raise "we-thinking" children?

Michael Ungar, author of "The We Generation: Raising Socially Responsible Kids," nudges parents out of the boxed-in mindset that's become endemic to America today. "We want our children to have access to every available medical and social service imaginable, but we look for ways to avoid paying our taxes, hoping someone else will foot the bill," Ungar writes. "We don't mean to be so self-centered, but as individual adults, we haven't shown much inclination to take responsibility for the fiscal, environmental or social liabilities we are leaving our children."

It's no surprise, then, when the social disconnect comes home. "It is a small step from such selfishness to the actions of the parent who excuses her son's belligerent behavior when his principal calls home," Ungar notes. Yet we don't even notice as the excuses eat away at a sense of compassion, cooperation and responsibility.

Ungar's book is a wakeup call to complacent parents. He explores the causes of "me" thinking and explains how parents can encourage "we" thinking through every stage of development. He identifies the ways parents unintentionally cause their children to become more self-centered. "The We Generation" also examines how where we live impacts development and leads children to become alienated and selfish. More than just an examination of modern culture, it gives parents the tools and support to raise children who are compassionate, community-minded, responsible and accountable for their actions.